Cinépotins

Wednesday, October 03, 2012 - Moviemakers were forced to shut down production of The Lone Ranger several times during the much-anticipated film's marathon 10-month shoot due to

blizzards, sandstorms, and the threat of a chicken pox outbreak.

The cast and crew of the upcoming film, which stars Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, shot much of the movie in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, where unusual and unique weather patterns are frequent.

Hammer is convinced the project was cursed because filming was often halted by frustrating delays.

He tells U.s. Tv host Jay Leno, "In the beginning of the movie we had a

day that shut us down because the blizzards were too bad. Then after that we had a day where the sandstorm shut us down. Then we had a day after that where a lightning storm shut us down. Then after that we had a day where disease almost shut us down.

"One of the young actors in the story shows up... and he's kinda (itching)... And the medic shows up and goes, 'Oh my god, that's chicken pox!'

"All of a sudden everybody just shot (off) in different directions. They sent the kid home and they had to reorganise the whole day, almost shut

down production. Turns out the kid had chiggers (mites); didn't even have chicken pox...

"But after that there were days it was so hot some of the machines were

malfunctioning. There was one day we shot and it was, like, 120 degrees.

I'm sure there were more creature comforts in Iran than where we were shooting."